WHAT IS SPECIAL ABOUT ISRAEL III

WHAT IS SPECIAL ABOUT ISRAEL III
"A Jewish beggar is not impossible, perhaps; such a thing may exist, but there are few men that can say they have seen that spectacle."
This is a quote of the distinguished American writer, Mark Twain documented in 1899. He made this remark after spending a considerable time of his life observing the lifestyle and history of Jews. This observation has in fact proven to be true all over the past century. An average Jew is either a flourishing business man or an excellent professional. Currently, in the USA, Jewish households on the average are the richest. They are followed by the Japanese who are noted universally for their extreme hard work and discipline. Now the main question that comes to mind is; what is the secret of the Jew?
After rigorous research one notices that the Jews have a culture and lifestyle that attracts wealth to them individually and collectively as a people, irrespective of their geographical location or prevailing economic conditions. Basically, the Jews have components in their laws that cause them to do things that bring wealth. The most conspicuous ones are a positive mentality to wealth creation, individual justice or equity and sacrifice or giving.
Steven Silbiger wrote in his book The Phenomenon of the Jews: Seven Keys to the Enduring Wealth of a People that the secret of the Jews can be summed up in seven values which he recommends all individuals to take up. They are:
1. Understand that real wealth is portable; it's knowledge
2. Take care of your own and they will take care of you
3. Successful people are professionals and entrepreneurs
4. Develop your verbal confidence
5. Be selectively extravagant but prudently frugal
6. Take pride in individuality: encourage creativity
7. Be psychologically driven to prove
Wealth is a good thing. Unlike most Christians of today, Jews continue to believe in the importance of wealth and they work towards it. It is interesting to note that in many Christian churches, people see amassing of wealth as sinful. This is a misconception. In the life of Jesus Christ, it is observed that there was an advocacy of the separation of religion from secularism. He chose to focus mainly on the spiritual aspects of life. The portions of the New Testament after the life of Jesus Christ focuses on the life, practises and beliefs of a Church that was meant to expand to all corners of the earth. By this, there was a focus on spiritual and religious beliefs rather than national and state issues. This does not mean that science, wealth and national success are sinful. NO! They have their roles in life and must not be undermined. It is so sad that many Christian Pastors and Preachers in Africa tend to seek the downfall of their fellow Church leaders who encourage their members to create wealth.
Individually, Jews believe in the principle of reward for good deeds and punishment for evil deeds. With this at the back of each Jewish mind, there is nothing like cheating or taking advantage of another person he transacts a business with. The Jews work with fairness and equity and they seek the benefit of everybody. Issues like theft, hatred and undermining are just out of the vocabulary of a Jew. This is a policy of the Jews which when adopted by Africans can promote us as a people also.
Most importantly, the Jews believe in a Power higher than all! They believe in their God and they follow His principles. What are some of the principles that improve their earning capacity; the main one is tzedakat. Attempting to pronounce this Hebrew word as an African makes it sound quite familiar; it means ‘charity’ but it is transliterated in English as ‘righeousness’. Tzedakat is a duty that makes it obligatory for all Jews to give at least ten percent of their income to charity. This could be given to the poor, a religious body, educational institution or to a colleague in need.
Giving is a secret that has worked in the lives of Jews for many centuries. It brings prosperity and prevents havoc and catastrophes from falling on an individual or a nation. Since the message of independence spread through Africa like wild fire five decades ago, African nations have been receiving continuously without giving to anyone, yet we continue to be poor. What about attempting to give as nations? If giving has worked for Jews, it would surely work for Africans. All we need to do is to give it a try whether on an individual level or as national institutions.
Above all, the Jews love each other. The mutual love between Jews has been a secret that has kept them together for centuries. It has acted as a method of social security that has protected the Jews as a people from destruction and from oppression. The Jews are an example of the saying that unity is strength. United we will stand as Africans. Finally, if you want to be successful, consider the principles outlined in this article critically. Live by them and teach others and gradually, we will get there as a people. Shalom.